Doaa Serag Mohamed Morsy: Teaching, Research, and Representation in Academia

PhD Spanish and Portuguese

Doaa is currently a PhD candidate in the College of Liberal Arts’ Spanish and Portuguese department. Born and raised in Egypt, Doaa holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Helwan (Egypt) in Spanish and Literature. Later, she received her master's in Spanish Language and Culture from the University of Salamanca (Spain). She started her PhD program at Temple University in 2018, and her current research interests center around Latin American Literature, Disability Studies, and Women’s Studies.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

What is your degree program? Can you describe the chain of events that led you to it?

I’m currently pursuing a PhD in the Spanish and Portuguese department. After high school, I wanted to study something different. I'm the first female in my entire family to enter to be a college student, and my family wanted me to study in the Department of Arabic Studies. But it didn't really make sense to me, to study a language that I can already speak. So I studied Spanish, and during my studies, I received the highest grades among my colleagues, which is why my Egyptian university, Helwan University, decided to give me a teaching assistantship position in order to continue pursuing a master's and PhD. By that time, I knew that my destiny is to be a college professor. I received a scholarship from Salamanca University in Spain to pursue a joint master’s program with Helwan University. After that, I decided to pursue my PhD at Temple University.

Why did you decide to pursue graduate study at Temple University?

I applied for many scholarships in Spain, but then I found the announcement about teaching assistantship positions in Temple University. And what really attracted me about the program in my department is that in addition to pursuing my PhD, I would be teaching two courses per semester. It was a great opportunity for me to continue my passion—I don't have to only do research, I can also teach. This was one of the primary reasons why I decided to pursue my PhD at Temple University. Additionally, Philadelphia is a very diverse city. It is not dominated by a single race or a single religion, so everyone can feel accepted. This is what I noticed while searching about the city. I like that it is full of museums that you can visit, like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation, and even though this is my seventh year in Philadelphia, there are still places that I haven't visited yet. So it's a great place to visit, not only to have fun, but to also learn about history.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your program?

One of the things that I really appreciate about my program is the strong sense of faculty mentorship. There are faculty who are always willing to help you whenever needed. I also like that my department is not only dedicated to teaching and researching, but offers students a variety of courses. For example, Spanish for Medical and Business Professions. Whether you are an undergraduate or a graduate student, there are so many classes offered in the Spanish and Portuguese department to help take you a step closer to your dream job.

Can you tell us about your research?

In my dissertation, I analyzed the disabled and sick female body in both Latin American and Arab literature. I specifically focus on analyzing the suffering of these women in relationship to the space and to people around them who do not seem to suffer the same medical condition that they have. It’s an interdisciplinary dissertation, as I bring together different fields like literature, disability studies, and trauma studies. I also bring together three novels that have never been brought together before in one single study.

What do you consider your community at Temple? How has this community impacted you, and how do you hope to impact this community?

I consider myself a person with many identities. As a Muslim, I found that the Muslim Student Association is where I feel a sense of belonging. A few years ago, Temple University generously offered us a prayer space in the student center. I am very thankful for this, and for Muslim students, it's a great place for us because, during Ramadan, we can gather there to pray or to have meals. As an academic, I consider the Spanish and Portuguese department my community, and I would say that the person I look up to most is my advisor, Dr. Christina Baker. Her teaching and advising style has really inspired me in so many ways. I had the opportunity to attend one of her seminars recently, and I was really inspired by the way she designed her syllabus to help students, not only to succeed in their courses, but also to prepare them for presentations in conferences and for publishing articles. As for how I hope to impact this community, I am the only Arab and Muslim student in my department, and I believe I am the first one. With that alone, I think I'm making an impact. Also, I’ve dedicated many years of my life to analyzing the suffering of a marginalized group, such as sick and disabled women, and I hope I’ve made an impact in how we engage with these topics at Temple University.

What is one piece of advice you would offer to a potential graduate student?

Well, after seven years, it's difficult to offer only one piece of advice, but if I had to pick…from your first day in graduate school, build a strong support system, because you will need it, from your family, your friends, or peers in your department. Graduate school is a long journey, and you don't always know what resources you will need or when you will need them. And as someone who studies disability and sickness, I would also like to say that disability is fluid, and there are lots of invisible disabilities and sicknesses. So, please, never feel ashamed to request a letter from the DRS.

You were the runner-up in Temple University’s 2024 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) Competition. What was that experience like?

It’s difficult to present your dissertation in only three minutes. You always have a lot to say, and you think everything that you wrote in your dissertation is very important. What I did was schedule sessions in the Student Success Center with many writing tutors to focus on the main ideas of my dissertation, as well as preparing for the presentation. There were many people attending the presentation, and there were many people in the 3MT competition, so I was able to connect with people who are also passionate about studying disability, sickness, and literature. I was also able to build a strong network of people from different fields, and receive feedback from them.